Chair.



TTn STATES GEORGE M. SMITH, OF READSBOROUGH, VERMONT.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,280, dated November 6, 1900.

Application me@ March 2g, 1900, seria1No10,519. (No model.)

To all whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Readsborough, in the county of Bennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to such as are provided with dexible seats of carpet, canvas, or other textile.

While the invention is designed for chairs generally, it is specially adapted to the folding variety or camp-chair.

The objects of the invention are to provide a secure fastening forl the seat, as well as for the frame, to supplement the glue-joints and prevent possible spreading of the legs and a turning of the head rollvor block.

The invention also aims to provide a neat finish and connection of the seat with the rear head-block and prevent projecting strands or threads, which are unsightly, and also to secure a firm connection which will sustain a heavy weight without breaking away or becoming loosened in any manner.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of a campchair, showing the application of the invention and having parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the head roll or block. line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. +L is a transverse section of the rear head-block. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the rear head-block, showing more clearly the clamp-bar apertured for the passage of a side piece of the back.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated Fig. 3 is a transverse section on thein all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The chair-frame comprises front legs l, connected at their upper ends by the roll or head-block 2, rear legs 3, and the head-block e, connecting the upper ends of the legs 3.

The back comprises side pieces 5, an upper cross-piece 6, connecting the upper ends of the side pieces 5, and a cross-piece 7, connecting the lower ends of the side pieces 5, which pass through the head-block 4E and project a short distance therefrom. The end portions of the cross-piece 7 project beyond the side pieces 5 and are adapted to engage with the upper ends of the rear legs 3 and limit the rearward movement of the back. This crosspiece 7 constitutes a handle for carrying the chair when folded or reduced to a compact and portable form.

The roll 2 is provided in one side with a longitudinal groove or chanuelS, and its ends are tenoned into the upper end portions of the legs l. The front edge portion of the seat 9 has a portion forced into the groove or channel S and held therein by means of a spline 10, which may be either a rod or stout wire. The spline lO is held in the groove or channel 8 by means of fastenings 11, which are preferably staples driven into the roll 2 over the said spline. A sufficient number of staples or fastenings 1l may be provided, so as to prevent casual displacement of the spline, and the latter will be slightly longer thanV the space between the upper ends of the legs l, and its ends are pointed and bent at a right angle and driven into the upper ends of the said legs l and through the tenons l2, formed at the ends of the roll 2, thereby preventing spreading ofthe said legs and turning of the roll in the mortises oropenings formed in the upperend portions of thelegsl. Thegroovc or channel S is preferably formed in the front side of the roll 2, and when securing the seat 9 its front edge portion is placed upon the roll over the groove 8, and the spline l0 has its bent ends 13 driven into the end portions of the legs and its body portion forced into the groove or channel 8, so as to carry the part of the seat opposite the groove into the latter. The staples 11 are now driven into the roll 2 over the spline 10 to hold the lat- IOO ter in the groove 8. The face side of the seat is placed against the roll, and after the front end of the seat has been secured to the roll the seat is folded back, so that the spline lies in the fold or bite and the projecting end portion of the textile or fabric comprising the seat is hidden by the latter.

The head-block 4 is provided in its lower edge at an intermediate point with a longitudinal groove or channel 14, increasing in depth toward the rear side of the head-block. The marginal portions and 16, provided at the opposite sides of the channel 14, are located at different relative heights, the face 16 being in a higher plane than the face 15 in order to accommodate the thickness of the seat 9. The rear end portion of the seat 9 is folded, as shown at 17, and is fitted in the channel 14, and is held in place by tacks or like fastenings 18, driven through the folded portion of the seat and into the head-block 4. A clampbar 19, corresponding in width to v the head-block 4, is secured to the lower edge thereof by means of screws 20 and supplements the action of the fastenings 18 to hold the folded portion 17 of the seat 9 in the channel 14. This clamp-bar is mounted upon the projecting end portions of the side pieces 5, being apertured for the passage therethrough of the lower terminals of said side pieces. When the parts are properly assembled and the clamp-bar 19 secured to the head-block 4, a forward pull upon the seat 9, as when .a load is imposed thereon by a person sitting thereon, the tendency is to crowd the folded end portion 17 of the seat by a wedging action into the front contracted part of the channel or seat 14, thereby preventing possible displacement of the seat, even though the fastenings 18 should give way. It will be observed, further, that the raw edge of the seat 9 is not exposed and that a firm and secure joint of the seat with the head-block 4 is provided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a chair or analogous device, and in combination with the frame comprisingside pieces and a connecting cross-piece formed in a side with a longitudinal groove, a textile, a spline for securing the textile in the said groove of the cross-piece and having its end portions overlapping the side pieces, and means for securing the terminal portions of the spline to said side pieces to prevent spreading thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. In a chair or analogous device, and in combination with the frame comprising side pieces and a cross-piece having its ends tenoned to the side pieces and having a longitudinal groove in one side, a textile, a spline for securing the textile in the groove of the said cross-piece and having its end portions overlapping the side pieces of the frame, and means for securing the terminals of the spline to the side pieces and passing through the latter and the tenons of the aforementioned cross-piece to prevent spreading of the side pieces and a turning of the cross-piece, substantially as set forth.

3. In a chair or kindred article, and in combination with side pieces and a connecting cross-piece having its ends tenoned to the said side pieces and formed in a side with a longitudinal groove, a textile, a spline for securing the textile in the groove of the cross-piece and having its ends overlapping the side pieces and secured thereto and to the tenons of the cross-piece, and fastenings located at intervals in the length of the spline and connecting it and the textile to the aforementioned cross-piece, substantially as set forth.

4. In a chair or analogous device, and in combination with the legs, a roll or headblock having its ends tenoned into the legs and provided in a side -with a longitudinal groove, and a textile seat, of a spline having its end portions pointed and bent about at a right angle and driven into the legs and tenons of the said roll, said spline holding the seat Within the groove of the roll, and fastenings disposed at intervals in the length of the spline and let into the said roll, substantially as set forth.

5. In a chair and in combination with the rear head-block having its lower edge provided intermediate of its sides with a channel gradually deepening toward the rear side and having marginal 'portions at the sides of the channel in different relative planes, a back having portions passing through the head-block and projecting beyond the same,

a seat having its rear edge portion folded and' fitted in the aforesaid channel, and a clampbar apertured to receive the projections of the back and adapted to secure the folded edge portion of the seat in the head-block substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. SMITH. yWitnesses:

J. G. LAUGHNA, M. E. WHITE.

IOO 

